Sales taxes to go up in some California cities, counties

SACRAMENTO (AP) -- This could be a good weekend to buy a wide variety of items -- from cars to tools to clothes -- because sales taxes in more than 20 cities and counties across California are due to go up Monday.

Municipalities from Carmel to Culver City are increasing their sales taxes anywhere from a quarter to a half-cent on every dollar of sales as they seek to boost revenues.

Sacramento's increase -- from 8 to 8.5 percent -- is estimated to bring in an additional $28 million a year.

On a $1,000 refrigerator, for example, the new Sacramento city rate will mean an extra $5 in sales taxes. For a $25,000 vehicle, that would come to an additional $125 in sales tax.

"We get customers grumbling about it when they buy a big-ticket item. But there's not much they can do about it," said Jay Joseph, general manager of Manuel Joseph Appliance Center in Sacramento.

"It won't have a huge impact, only because people are accustomed to the increases. In the whole scheme of things, it's not a lot of money," said Joseph.

Coupled with the Proposition 30 statewide sales tax that added a quarter-cent starting Jan. 1, consumers are paying more is sales taxes than they did a year ago, officials noted.

Tax watchdog groups aren't happy about the increases.

"We think it's bad news in that we already have a very slow economic turnaround," said David Kline, spokesman for the California Taxpayers Association. "The forecast is for very slow growth in California's economy. More sales taxes will certainly not help."

The increases also create a confusing mix of tax rates across California. According to the Board of Equalization, the agency overseeing the new rates, 19 cities increased their sales tax, effective April 1, while three counties -- Marin, San Mateo and Santa Clara -- increased their sales tax rate.

Additionally, a handful of cities extended the expiration date of existing sales tax increases. In Salinas and Williams, voters pushed them out indefinitely.

In Trinidad, the current tax rate was extended to 2017. The longest extension was in Fresno County, which stretched its rate out to 2029.